1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video playback devices, and more particularly, to methods and devices for adaptively estimating a remaining video length in real time for a user's convenience while viewing at least one program.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A video playback device such as a digital versatile disc (DVD) player is capable of displaying an elapsed time and a remaining time of a DVD being played. The elapsed time tells the user how much time has already been spent on the program recorded on the DVD, while the remaining time tells the user how much more time he or she will spend on the DVD before finishing viewing the recorded program, so the user may have proper schedule control according to the elapsed time and/or the remaining time displayed on a display module of the DVD player, where the display module typically comprises a plurality of seven-segment light emitting diodes (seven-segment LEDs) for respectively displaying digits of the elapsed time or the remaining time.
Regarding an indexed program, for example a sports program with indexes respectively indicating highlight segments therein, a user may be informed of a so-called elapsed time and even a so-called remaining time of the sports program. Please note that as the sports program is a highlight version of one or more games for the user, it is supposed that the playback of the sports program is nonlinear most of the time. More specifically, the sports program is typically played with some segments being skipped according to the user's preferences. For example, during the first few seconds of each of the segments that the user is not interested in, the segment is skipped according to the user's wishes. As a result, the so-called elapsed time is not a real elapsed time and the so-called remaining time is not a real remaining time. Therefore, the user has to watch the sports program without assurance of properly controlling his or her schedule.